Memorandum
Date: May 19, 2020
To: The Honorable Moke Simon, Chair, Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Carol J. Huchingson, County Administrative Officer
Subject: Consideration of County of Lake COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Return to Work - Worksite Prevention Protocol and direction to staff for the reopening of County offices to the public
Executive Summary: (include fiscal and staffing impact narrative):
As steps are being taken for our County to accelerate the Stage 2 reopening of local businesses during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, your Board’s ad hoc committee and Department Heads have been concurrently planning for the reopening of County offices to the public.
With this in mind, we have drafted the attached County of Lake COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Return to Work - Worksite Prevention Protocol, which is being submitted for the consideration and approval of your Board today. Much like the self-certification process to be completed by local businesses for reopening, County Department Heads will self-certify that their offices are in full and continuous compliance with this Protocol. Self-certification forms will be posted at the entrance of every County office.
The protocol outlines the following:
Personal Protective Equipment to be kept on hand at all times.
Special signage (regarding masking, social distancing and other practices to reduce or prevent the spread of germs) to be posted at each public entrance and throughout interior areas including customer service counters, elevators and lobbies of County facilities to inform employees and the public.
Necessity for enhanced hand washing, sanitizing and disinfecting.
Requirements for minimum six-foot social distancing.
Best practices for paper handling.
Employee self-screenings, symptom checks and temperature self-checks.
Support for employees who are at higher risk for severe illness.
Meetings and trainings to be cancelled, postponed, conducted electronically or when absolutely necessary, conducted with all requirements of the protocol effectuated.
Cancellation of non-essential travel and separate travel, to the greatest extent possible, when travel is essential.
Procedure for referral of employees to testing when symptomatic or known to have been exposed.
Requirements for employees who work in the field to contact any members of the public employees must meet with, in advance, in order to best manage the safety and well-being of the parties.
The Protocol also includes a number of resource and training materials and informational signage in both English and Spanish, as attachments.
During this time of gradual reopening to the public, to mitigate the potential for resurgence of COVID-19, as noted in the Protocol under, “Social Distancing”, County staff will work flexible hours and will continue to telework when possible.
We recommend your Board approve this Protocol, initiating the meet and confer process with our labor groups, and provide direction to Department Heads for the reopening of County offices to the public. Various adaptions and preparations to enhance the safety of employees and the public are presently underway, and it is recommended that County offices be reopened to the public, with all precautionary measures outlined in this protocol in place, by June 1, 2020.
Up to the date of reopening, departments will continue to serve the public through a variety of telephonic, electronic, and limited in-person means, as per the earlier direction of your Board.
Upon reopening, Department Heads will provide sufficient in-office staffing levels to serve the public while also following the Governor’s guidance for employees to telework when possible with flexible scheduling as necessary to manage social distancing requirements.
If not budgeted, fill in the blanks below only:
Estimated Cost: ________ Amount Budgeted: ________ Additional Requested: ________ Future Annual Cost: ________
Consistency with Vision 2028 and/or Fiscal Crisis Management Plan (check all that apply): ☐ Not applicable
☒ Well-being of Residents ☐ Public Safety ☐ Infrastructure ☐ Technology Upgrades
☒ Economic Development ☒ Disaster Recovery ☒ County Workforce ☐ Revenue Generation
☐ Community Collaboration ☐ Business Process Efficiency ☐ Clear Lake ☐ Cost Savings
If request for exemption from competitive bid in accordance with County Code Chapter 2 Sec. 2-38, fill in blanks below:
Which exemption is being requested?
How long has Agreement been in place?
When was purchase last rebid?
Reason for request to waive bid?
Recommended Action:
Approve County of Lake COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Return to Work - Worksite Prevention Protocol, authorizing the County Administrative Officer or her designee to initiate the meet and confer process with our labor groups.
Direct staff to reopen County offices to the public by June 1, 2020, with all requirements of this Protocol in effect.